Mainframe computers are significantly different computing environments than are other types of computers, such as personal, mini, and mid-range computers. Mainframe computers are generally more powerful than other computer types in that they have faster processors, wider buses, and larger storage devices, for example.
Despite the power of mainframe computers, mainframe computers tend to be more labor intensive than our other programming environments due to operating system functionality. Software, such as database systems, that operate on mainframe computers have to comply with the operating system that controls the mainframe computer.
Information Management System (IMS) databases, which are hierarchical databases as opposed to relational databases, are formed of an IMS database and IMS database components that are configured to maintain proper operation of the database. IMS is a software product produced by International Business Machines (IBM®).
Each IMS database system includes five IMS database components, including: (i) an IMS system macro that defines the database to the online IMS systems; (ii) database definition (DBD) that defines the structure of the database; (iii) delete/define system that contains statements to define datasets of the database; (iv) dynamic allocation member that defines the database datasets to the online IMS system; and (v) database recovery control (DBRC) that is used by IMS to record event association with the database recovery. If any of these five IMS database components is missing, then the IMS database will not function correctly.
A typical mainframe computer may operate thousands or tens of thousands of databases. System administrators who are charged with maintaining IMS databases may find themselves having to create, delete, and modify IMS databases on a daily basis. As understood in the art, system administrators may create new IMS database components, delete IMS database components, and edit IMS database components associated with each of the IMS databases. In creating and deleting IMS database components, system administrators routinely inadvertently forget to create one, which means that the database may not operate properly or expose the database to unrecoverable situations in the event of a corrupted or crashed database. For example, if a DBRC IMS database component is not created, the IMS database cannot be recovered should the IMS database crash or become corrupted. In addition, database administrators who delete IMS databases routinely inadvertently forget to delete all of the IMS database components. While not deleting all the IMS database components does not cause other databases to fail, it does clutter IMS database libraries, which causes inefficiencies.
After many years and tens of thousands of databases, system administrators often find themselves virtually helpless to resolve the IMS database problems resulting from forgetting to create or delete IMS database components as several man-years of work would be required to correct the problems. It is often too late to save a malfunctioning database in the event of an IMS database failing, which results in very costly and time consuming problems for the system administrators.